Prioritizing Business Tasks: Tips for Event Planners (Part Two)
This week, QC Event School tutor, Heather Vickery, follows up her last article with more advice for prioritizing your business tasks. Heather is the Owner and Event Director of Greatest Expectations Special Events and Weddings, one of Chicago’s most celebrated event planning and design firms.
Take Care of Clients
Next, you will get to work on clients’ needs and specific events. For your mental wellbeing and to ensure you don’t make any mistakes, the key to success here is to only work on one project at a time. If you have done your pre-work and are organized with timelines and task lists, you will know exactly what each client needs and when. Take this opportunity to manage all email needs, proof invitations, write planning timelines, schedule appointments — anything and everything related to one specific client. When you have done everything you can for that client, move on to the next one.
Yes, it is important to prioritize which clients you work on. If you have a new client and are knee deep in a venue search you may want to put that clients’ work first. If you have a wedding coming up in the next couple of weeks and other vendors are waiting on your to complete tasks before they can do theirs, make sure that clients’ project is high on the list.
But here’s the deal. As long as you get your work done in a timely manner, no one is going to be upset with you for taking a couple of extra hours to complete their task and do it well. They will, however, be upset if you are trying to do too many things at once and make mistakes.
While we are on the topic of mistakes — stop multitasking. You have always been told it’s a good thing but it is not a good thing! No one can do anything 100% if they are also trying to do other things at the same time. This makes us sloppy and we risk making mistakes we cannot come back from.
This does not mean you don’t have multiple projects going at once. With any luck, you have loads of projects going on at once. It simply means you are staying hyper-focused on one project, one task, at a time. Get that one thing done really well, then move on to the next one.
Build Your Network
As I mentioned above, networking is an important element of running a successful business. Referrals come from personal connections. When someone sends you a client it’s because they know you will do an amazing job and because they like you! If you are not out building those relationships, you may as well close up shop right now. It is equally important to know all of the venues in your area. Take your team members on-site visits and tastings so that you truly know what you are talking about when you are helping your clients. I suggest reserving 1 -3 days a month for this type of work. It is such an important step in building a successful business.
When it comes to prioritizing business tasks, don’t just throw it all on a to-do list and look at it with overwhelm and fear. Break it down into actionable steps and put it in a logical order — then get to work! If you are mentally prepared, your clients will know it and they will love the experience of working with you!
very helpful content!! thank you for updating:)